Internet Protocol telephone systems are used to place and receive VoIP-based telephone calls. Users may access the Internet via services in their home or business via an entry/exit point or a gateway. Such VoIP service may be provided in a LAN home network. VoIP stations within a LAN home network may connect with VoIP or PSTN phones in a public network through the entry/exit point or the gateway. Through such a Gateway, IP based voice services may be delivered to VoIP stations in the home network such that the VoIP stations in the home network may communicate with the public network via data transmitted over a network through paths in digital data packets that traverse routers in the network to arrive at a desired destination over IP protocols. The actual voice stream is carried by the Real-Time Transport Protocol (RTP). The IP address and port number information for the RTP packets are defined by the Session Description Protocol (SDP).
A need often arises to initiate a conference call in a VoIP network. For example, a party in a private network may desire to join in a call already in progress between another party within the private network and a party in a public network. However, to set up a conference call in a VoIP network, an active VoIP station typically initiates the conference call connection. For example, if an active VoIP station desires a second VoIP station within the network to participate in a call, the active VoIP station sends a request to conference in the second VoIP station to a call agent. This may be accomplished by a user pressing a conference call button at the active VoIP station. On receipt of the conference call request from the call agent, the second VoIP station receives the request and answers the call. In this way, the second VoIP station is joined in the call.
In a typical wired-line home environment involving, for example, standard PSTN phones, a third party in the private network may join a conversation by simply picking up an extension line. If a conversation is already in progress, for example, between a party in the private network and a second party, the third party who is within the private network may easily and efficiently join the conversation. However, in a VoIP environment, this is not the case. If a third party on a VoIP phone and network wishes to join a VoIP call already in progress, the third party typically needs to be included in the call via conferencing capability. For example, a user may need to dial a number to set up a conference call. This causes inconvenience and delays in joining a connection on a VoIP call network as compared to joining a conversation on a PSTN network using a standard PSTN phone.
Typically, a voice client, such as a VoIP station or VoIP phone with wired or wireless LAN interface may originate and receive VoIP phone calls independently from other voice clients in the private network. An active VoIP station may be engaged in a VoIP connection with a communication station in a public network while other VoIP stations or VoIP phones in the private network typically do not participate in the conversation. However, if other VoIP stations in the same private network wish to join in the conversation, the active VoIP station may initiate a conference call with the VoIP stations wishing to join in the conversation resulting in a conference call for each new station joining in the conversation. This requires each VoIP phone to have complex hardware to implement the conferencing capability, which tends to increase costs. Furthermore, a VoIP station wishing to participate in the conversation is typically unable to efficiently join in the conversation to establish a conference call as in wired-line home environment.
There is currently no efficient method or system for VoIP conference calling in a private network such that a VoIP station in a private network may easily join a call in progress between another VoIP station in the private network and a station in a public network.
Thus there exists a need in the art to provide VoIP conference services in a private networking environment such that a user may conveniently, efficiently, and cost-effectively join in a VoIP connection.